This invention concerns puppets useful for entertainment and instructional purposes, and more particularly relates to hand operated puppets having a simple gripping function easily mastered by children.
There are many different kinds of puppets designed to produce entertaining movements based upon the manipulative efforts of the operator. Those puppets which are activated by supporting strings have generally been designated marionettes. Other puppet types are activated by rods or are worn over the hand to permit direct finger manipulation, or involve combinations of such principles. Conventional hand puppets, in their simplest form, require only a head-like flexible shell mounted atop a tubelike costume. It is drawn over the hand, like a glove. The forefinger works the head, and the thumb and middle finger operate the two arms. Such puppets are often sold as toys because even a child can produce movements of the figure that recognizably simulate human or animal movements. Flat puppets, known as shadow figures, are used in conjunction with a directed light source to cast moving shadows upon a screen or other flat surface.
Some puppet types are expensive to manufacture, or are difficult to operate, or are limited in their functional capabilities, particularly in operating upon other objects.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive puppet which is easily operable by children or adults.
It is another object of this invention to provide a puppet as in the foregoing object having a grasping or gripping capability and useful for instructional purposes.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a puppet of the aforesaid nature having the ability to grasp and lift substantially flat objects lying upon a flat surface.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a puppet of the aforesaid nature which can be stored in a flat state for economy of shipping and convenience of storage.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a kit adapted for educational or amusement use, said kit comprising a puppet of the aforementioned nature and at least one substantially flat association object liftable by said puppet.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.